Matt Keogh under fire in Federal Parliament over ‘cruel cuts’ to veterans’ services and botched meeting

Labor frontbencher Matt Keogh has endured a third successive day of Opposition attacks in Parliament as the Albanese Government faces growing pressure to unwind “cruel cuts” to veterans allied health services unveiled in the May Budget.

Two months ago, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs was beaming in his job as he helped to formally open the newly renovated Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Now he’s discovering just how difficult his crucial but notoriously challenging portfolio is.

Following several other policy backflips, including on medals, Minister Keogh is facing widespread criticism for initially refusing to meet a group of veterans campaigning to scrap the $5000 allied health cap. Over recent days growing numbers of frustrated veterans have declared they no longer have confidence in him, with one reportedly declaring he would prefer to deal with the Taliban.

After Minister Keogh reluctantly agreed to meet with the Coalition of Veterans’ Voices on Monday evening, members of the group then accused him of behaving arrogantly and showing indifference to them.

“It was obvious he did not want to be there,” said former RAAF pilot-turned-GP Tim Nelson at a press conference in Canberra on Tuesday.

“He even let us know that he was missing an appointment with the Governor-General, which he was very upset about. He walked into the room, refused to shake our hands, sat down with his arms crossed, and rolled his eyes when we started telling him about the effect that this cap already is having on veterans.”

“About four veterans who have already committed suicide as a result of the introduction of the information of this cap. We have no confidence that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs will be able to instigate this cap, and it needs to be scrapped,” Dr Nelson warned.

Former Navy clearance diver John Armfield, whose brother died by suicide, also accused the West Australian minister of being too focused on the Budget bottom line.

“Minister Keogh forgets he was elected to serve, not self-serve. The Budget’s obviously playing a role here. He wants the savings to go with that,” Mr Armfield said.

Under questioning from the Coalition on Tuesday, Mr Keogh apologised for declining to meet with the group last week when an initial request was made and insisted Labor wanted to ensure there would be no gap in allied healthcare for veterans.

“I thank those veterans for meeting with me yesterday afternoon and I acknowledge that I got it wrong in not agreeing to meet with them last week when that initial request came in. I own that,” he told Parliament. On Thursday in Parliament Liberal frontbencher and former soldier Phil Thompson asked the Prime Minister when he would sack Matt Keogh as his Veterans’ Affairs Minister.

“A veteran who served multiple combat tours in Afghanistan said, and I quote, dealing with Minister Keogh: ‘I think I prefer to deal with the Taliban. That was much more simple’,” Mr Thompson told Parliament.

Former Veterans’ Affairs Minister Darren Chester knows how difficult the portfolio is to manage and believes the Labor frontbencher has now lost the confidence of the community he is responsible for, making his position untenable.

The Deputy Nationals leader on Thursday highlighted several other major policy missteps where the beleaguered Minister had initially “failed to listen” and then been forced into a backflip.

“He failed to veterans on medallion recognition last year and had to backflip. He didn’t listen to the veterans on Invictus Games, had to backflip, and didn’t listen to the veteran community about the Cam Baird issue,” Mr Chester told News24.

Now as Minister Keogh makes the long flight back to WA, he will be contemplating if the $700m worth of Budget savings linked to the allied health cap can be adjusted.

“The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs is a role where you’ve got to listen to the concerns of the veterans’ community particularly for people like Mr Keogh and I who haven’t served in uniform,” Mr Chester argued.

“Listen to them, listen to their families, and be their advocate in the ministry or in the Cabinet.”

Although Mr Chester is gunning for the Veterans’ Affairs Minister to be sacked, Mr Keogh would be wise to listen to his National Party opponent’s advice about how to conduct himself in future when meeting those who have served in uniform.